Radio direction finder



Dcc. 4, 1934. 1.. KAESS RADIO DIRECTION FINDER Filed July 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

NVENTOR I ATTORN EY I BY K Dec. 4, 1934.

L. L. KAESS RADIO DIRECTION FINDER Filed July 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Dec. 4, 1934. L. KAEss' 1,983,230

RADIO DIRECTION FINDER.

- Filed July 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY b Patented 1934 l UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice v i I 1,983,230 T 7 Application July 1, 1m, Serial No'. 375,074

11 Claims. (01. 250-11) The object of this invention is to provide a which may be fitted a graph I provided with a radio direction finder which shall not only ensinuous line 1 The sinuous line! corresponds able a. mariner or an aeronaut to obtain inforto the deviations causedby local magnetic inmation from any radiq broadcasting station but fluences due mainly to the metal parts of the 5 to constantly have available information of the craft. To determine the direction of a trans- 60 deviation of his craft's compass, regardless of mitting station of which the signal has been .his course or of variations in hiscourse. picked up, the loop antenna is rotated and the The improvement consists in combinations of signal strengths observed; when the minimum parts set forth in the following description and signal is observed, the direction perpendicular illustrated in the accompanying drawings. to the plane of the loop antenna is supposed to 65' In the accompanying drawings: give the direction of the transmitting station. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an instrument However, due to the magnetic influences above embodying the improvements. referred to there will be in the rule a deviathni Fig. 2 is a front elevation upon a larger scale of several degrees between the direction so obof a portion of the same; tained, and hereafter referred to as apparent 70 Fig.3 is a central vertical section of a portion direction, and between the true direction of the of the same. r transmitting station; these deviations being Fig.4 is a horizontal'section taken at the plane solely caused by local influences on the craft can 'of the dotted line marked 4--4 in Fig. 3. be determined once for all for any craft by taking Similar letters or reference designate corresignals from a transmitter of known direction 75 sponding parts in all these figures. and turning the ship arounda complete circle A is a loop antenna connected to a tubular determining for every angle the deviation beshaft Bjwhich at its lower portion is supported tween the true and apparent direction. This in a bearing b forming a central and upward deviation expressed in degrees is'then drawn on extending portion of a casing E. The upper porthe graph I} giving the curve I a sinuous charac- 80 tion of the shaft B is supported in a bearing b ter; The graph is so secured to the antenna Amxed to the shaft B above I) is a ring 11 formshaft B, that that portion .of the sinuous curve ing a shoulder whichprojects above the bearing appears before the slot e which gives the devia:v b and thus supports the shaft B vertically. 'tion for the corresponding antenna position;

The bearing 1) has a flange-like portion ex- When the graphj is carried by the graph-holder tending above a support D, which may be the F past the aperture e its sinuous line P will be roof of a cabin on an aerial or marine vessel, visible through the slot e of the card e and the and 'a depending portion which passes through scale which ismarked along the 'vertical line e support D. Below the support D it has immovwill-indicate the angle of deflection which the 35 ably ailixed to it's exterior a tubular housing C. mariner must take into consideration in depend- The lower portion of this housing 0 has the ,ing upon the indication of the direction finder. bearing b immovably aflixed to it. The casing Preferably the graph i will be madeof trans- E is of cylindrical shape and constitutes a screen lucent material so that it may be illuminated for inner parts later to be described. The casby an electric lamp G inside it. If made of .40 mg E is provided with two apertures, e, e one opaque material the lamp, of course, will have above the other. Within the upper aperture e to'be outside it. is placed a non-transparent card e marked with Loosely mounted on the shaft B near the lower a vertical line -e which corresponds with the end of the latter is a plate H carrying a cylinplumb line of the vessel on which the instrument drical card 71. located opposite the aperture e 45 is used, and it is also marked with a horizontal and being on its periphery provided with a scale line e Along the vertical line e is provided a divided in angular degrees. The aperture e is scale marked in degrees the zero of this scale fitted with glass or celluloid-provided with a being opposite the horizontal line e and the vertical line e correspondingto the plumb'line scale extending both above and below this line of the craft. 50 for the card of aperture e is provided along the It will be seen that the carrier H extends bevertical line c with a narrow vertical slot e". yond the exterior of the casing E so that it may Opposite the window 6- is located a graphbe reached to adjust it circumferentially with holder F consisting of a plate affixed to the lower. the card h into difierent positions relatively to portion of the shaft B so asto turn therewith, the shaft B to make it possible to take observa- 5 and provided with a peripheral shoulder into tions not only in direction of the plumb line of the craft but also off-bow observations at any angle to the plumb line.

Below the carrier H a wheel-shaped handle I is fixedly secured to the shaft B so that the turning of this handle will cause all the parts at-' tached to it to turn. The carrier H is vertically supported by this handle I and may be clamped to ,turn with it. A means whereby the clamping maybe done consists of a screw 2' provided with a handle 2' below the handle I and engaging with a nut 1' having arms 12 which extend through vertical slots in the shaft B. Obviously by turning the screw in one direction the carrier H will .be clamped to the handle I thereby connecting the antenna with the card 71. and by turning it in the other direction it may be unclamped, thus disconnecting the antenna from the card h With the antenna A is electrically connected a radio receiver J which may be any suitable form and provided with the usual adjusting devices and some signaling devices, such for instance as a head-phone 7' Wires 9' extend from the antenna coil A through the tubular shaft 3 and pass out through holes with which said shaft is provided to a cylinder of insulating material such as bakelite :i which is afiixed to the graph-holder F to turn with it. On the exterior of this cylinder 1' are metal rings 7' :i with which the said wires are connected. Brushes 9' supported by the screen E contact with the rings 7 i and wires from these brushes extend out through a pipe i which is secured in a socket 7' with which the screen E is provided. The wires of the lighting circuit also extend out through the pipe 9''. From the above it will appear that my direction finding device is adapted to be used independently of the ships compass and permits determination of the true direction of the transmitting station from which.the signal is observed whereby correction for local disturbing influences can be conveniently. obtained by adding or subtracting the deviations indicated by curve I opposite the scale e It is also apparent that my device being directions falling in the \plumb line of the craft but also ofi-bow observations under any desired angle may be conveniently taken.

What is claimed and sought to be secured by Letters Patents:

1. In a radio direction finder having a rotatable antenna; an index pointer; means for indicating the relative position of said antenna with respect to said index pointer whereby the, apparent direction bf a transmitting station is determined; a cylindrical graph provided with a correction line and having a connection with said antenna whereby said graph is rotatable with said antenna; a scale in operative relation with said correction lineadjacent said index pointer, said line representing on said scale the variations between the apparent direction indicated by said first mentioned means and the true direction of the transmitting station.

2. In a radio direction finder for craftshaving a rotatable directional antenna; a stationary pointer;-a rotatable scale means for providing a driving v connection between said scale and said directional antenna and movable past said pointer to indicate the angle which the antenna forms with the keel line of the craft; and means for disconnecting said driving connection means whereby said scale is movable with respect to said directional antenna whereby the scale indicates the angle which the antenna makes with any other line of reference than the keel line of the craft. [1

3. In a radio direction finder for crafts having a rotatable antenna; a housing; a graph having a connection with said antenna and rotatable therewith within said housing, said graph com-' prising a curve indicating the radiant energy deviations caused by local influences on the craft for every position of theantenna; an aperture in saidhousing for bringing into visibility only the portion of said curve corresponding to the angular position of said antenna; and a scale cooperating with said visible portion for indicating said deviation at each angular position of said antenna.

4. In a radio direction finder for crafts having a rotatable antenna; a circular correction card connected therewith; the axis of said card being in a vertical plane, said card having a rotatable connection with said antenna; a scale cooperating with said card, said card for each angular position of said antenna indicating on said scale the angular deviations of received radiant energy caused by local influences; a scale having a connection and rotatable with said antenna for indicating the angular position of said antenna with respect to a predetermined line of reference, said card and said scale being located adjacent each other; and means whereby only that portion of said scale and card from which the reading is to be taken are brought into visibility at any one time.

5. In a radio compass a rotatable antenna; bearing indicating means comprising a stationary pointer; ascale rotatable with said antenna and movable past said stationary pointer'for indicating the angular position of said antenna;

and means for indicating a correction to beapplied to every scale reading at each angular position of said antenna comprising a rotatable graph having a predetermined construction in accordance-with wave front distortion existing at each angular position, said graph being connected to and rotatable with said scale:

6. In a radio compass; bearing indicating means comprisinga stationary pointer; a rotatable scale movable past said stationary pointer;

means for indicating corrections to be applied to every reading of said scale comprising a graph and a cooperating scale therefor; means whereby said graph is rotatable with said first mentioned scale; and meansfor shifting the angular position of said rotatable scale with respect to said able scale movable past said stationary pointer;-

means for indicating corrections tobe applied to the reading of said scale comprising a fixed scale and rotatable m ni means manning the ani gular position of said scale with respect to an graph; and a housing for said scale having a window exposing to view at all times only tion of-said scale and-said ,readingistobetaken.

-' 9. In a radio compass havin: a dire'ctionalanfrom which a tenna movable over an analllat ranae: adiaed pointer; an antenna position indicator having a scale havins a connection to and movable with said antenna past said fixed pointer i'ol'imiicatinl thereon the angular position of said antenna; and i a wave front correctioniindicatcrcomprlsin ea .scale. and nindicatin a. motion transmittina connection" with said anitenna to indicate for each indication'otithe an- .compenaate in 1a 1radio- :compassa=havin:aa

mntennwmovable aver range; ;a .ta-

M a n v 'tionary' pointer; a scale a; connection to,

and-rotatable with saidantenna past said pointer i'orindicatinzthereontheanzularpositionotsaid antenna: and a wave front correction indicator includina means controlled by said antenna (or variably indicatin: the correction to be applied to said first mentionedscale indication for each angular position of said antenna.

IL'In-a radio compan havinz'a directional antenna movable over an angular rane; a statlonsry pointer: a scale having .a connection to,

' and rotatable with said antenna past said pointer '10: thereon." the po sitioni oi. said antenna; and a :wave 1 trontcorreotion indicatoradjanent 'said stationary pointer means; controlled by said =antenna for variably indicating, at a .positionadjacentsaid stationary pointe'rik hcmorrection to he ppliedto saidiilrst mammalian-indication a ccordancewiththe Mtion or said.

21:95 :mmsn-mss. 

